


Fantastic Flipside

by lilithiumwords



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-17 12:44:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11851833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithiumwords/pseuds/lilithiumwords
Summary: A what-if story based on my two AU fics: what if the Yuuri of each universe was switched with his counterpart?Originally posted inDown the Wandering Path.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [when the ice melts in the snow (that's when you'll love me)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8770939) by [lilithiumwords](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithiumwords/pseuds/lilithiumwords). 
  * Inspired by [the crow upon the sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8690167) by [lilithiumwords](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithiumwords/pseuds/lilithiumwords). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [@wakeanyday-blog](http://wakeanyday-blog.tumblr.com/): Yay ! Prompt time ! How about a comedic situation if somehow crowuponthesea!Yuuri stranded at the icemelt!vic and yuuri place ! Thank youuu

A cold nose pokes into his cheek, accompanied by a soft whine, and Yuuri sighs. "Makkachin, you should be downstairs," he mumbles, but he doesn't mind the invasion -- Makkachin is his favorite, of the three guests in his house. He reaches out to wrap an arm around Makkachin, but the poodle evades him, before barking loudly. Yuuri startles and sits up, fear racing in his heart.

"Shh! What if someone hears you?" Yuuri worries, holding out his hands, but Makkachin whines at him again before skittering out of the room.

It is then that Yuuri realizes that he is not in his room.

The room is nothing like he has seen before, with wide windows and sheer white curtains, the bed framed in a tall, angular metal setting, with little glass fixtures hanging from the ceiling. A blue blanket covers his body, and Yuuri stares down at it, not recognizing it. He doesn't know where he is.

Inhaling sharply, Yuuri flies to the window and looks past the curtains warily. Instead of the quiet woods outside his home, or indeed anything remotely Japanese, he sees an unfamiliar cityscape. In the distance, he can see Cyrillic script on billboards, signs.

_Russia?_

"Yuuri?" calls a familiar voice, and Yuuri whirls around in relief.

"Viktor, what is going on?" Then he stops short and stares, because this... is not Viktor.

This Viktor has long hair, and his eyes are glowing blue. The face is the same, the same kind eyes, but the darkened circles that have haunted Viktor's face for weeks are nowhere in sight. Viktor's clothes look comfortable, soft, with rich fabrics. Nothing of the worn clothes that still carry dark stains no matter how many times Yuuri washes them.

"Viktor?" Yuuri whispers. He doesn't understand what is going on.

"Oh, my," Viktor says, blinking several times. "I see why Makkachin was so upset... you're not my Yuuri, are you?"

The possessive words make Yuuri's heart lurch with the same soft, warm feeling that Viktor gave him when he kissed him. Even the voice is the same.

But this isn't Viktor.

Not-Viktor steps closer to him, a little carefully, as if afraid to spook Yuuri, who flinches back. The action seems to shock Not-Viktor, but then he frowns and strides across the room, taking Yuuri's wrist in his hand.

Yuuri jumps and tries to pull away, but Not-Viktor holds firm. His thoughts seem to fly over everything he is feeling, and all the while Viktor's glowing eyes stay fastened to his face. Viktor's eyes might be blue, but they glow green! And when did his hair get so long? And why are they not in Japan? If Yuuri didn't know any better, he would say he has stepped into an alternate reality. Given his research, he has seen quite a few forums that focus on conspiracy theories and 'alternative science' --

"Oh, you are clever, aren't you?" breathes Not-Viktor. Yuuri blinks up at him. "An alternate universe. Another timeline? But you're human, so it must be a world where the Underworld doesn't exist, or simply that Yuuri's family never became demons."

Demons?! Yuuri's anxiety doubles, and his breathing grows thinner with panic.

"But your Viktor is human, too, or mostly," Not-Viktor continues, tilting his head. His hair falls over his eyes, making him look unfairly attractive. Yuuri has seen pictures of Viktor, younger, with longer hair, and he doesn't think it is fair that this Not-Viktor is just as beautiful.

Not-Viktor's eyes light up, and he beams at Yuuri, with that same heart-shaped smile. The sight of it oddly relaxes him, and Yuuri slowly calms down, his near-panic attack fading.

"So... you're a d-demon?" Yuuri asks, hesitantly, and this Viktor brightens, then holds up a hand. A little whirl of blue -- energy? -- appears over his hand, sparkling like snow under the sun. A chill fills the air, making Yuuri shiver, before the cold disippates with the strange energy.

"Yes! Though not the terrifying sort that you're thinking of," Viktor says, his voice soothing. "More like a fantasy story. Why," he laughs, "it's almost as if we both belong to different fantasy stories! Yours sounds just as strange as my world does to you!"

"What a strange idea," Yuuri muses. But if he is here... then is this Viktor's Yuuri in _his_ place? And how will he get back?

"Oh, I think it must have been a mix-up of spells. Yuuri was playing around with magic last night, so he must have done something quite wrong. But it will be an easy fix, once I figure out what he did," Viktor says, smiling at him. Then he leans over and kisses Yuuri's forehead, making his heart race, before drawing him out of the room. Makkachin is waiting by the door, and after sniffing at Yuuri's hand, she licks his fingers. 

Viktor pauses by a large set of shelves, filled with many books that look unlike anything Yuuri has ever seen. "Would you like to help?" Viktor asks.

Yuuri pushes up his glasses. Research has always been his expertise, and he wants to go home -- to _his_ Viktor. "Yes, I would."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [@selkiesou](http://selkiesou.tumblr.com/): Can we see the other side of the Crow and Melting Ice cross over? I'm curious what demon Yuuri is doing with Viktor and Yuri in the apartment!

Yuuri has barely opened his eyes when he realizes that he is not where he should be.

The room is completely unfamiliar. It smells of familiar things, though -- himself, Viktor, Makkachin. Even Yurio's scent is there, though all of them are... _off_. As if the magic has been sapped out of their scents and replaced with something decidedly human. Yuuri sits up slowly, casting out his senses and sensing three other beings in the building -- two humans and a dog. A moment later, he hears footsteps coming down the hall, accompanied by the skittering of Makkachin's feet.

Quickly he hides his demonic features beneath his normal glamour, thinking fast. Last night he had been happily messing around with spell components, using a book from one of Viktor's shelves, and Viktor had left him to it, content to let Yuuri explore his magic. Viktor had already taught him a few arcane techniques, and the book he had given Yuuri had appeared to be straightforward... but apparently Yuuri had messed up. Badly.

The door opens, and Makkachin bounds into the room, then stops short and stares at him, her head tilting to the side. She lets out a soft whine and sniffs the air. She seems confused about his scent, so Yuuri quickly suppresses his pheromones, as bewildered as Makkachin appears to be.

A tall, familiar figure follows Makkachin into the room, and Yuuri should be happy to see Viktor, but... this is not Viktor.

This person is human, and he has something... _strange_ in his chest. Over his heart? His face is a little older, with dark circles under his eyes and worry lines in his face, the signs of human aging. Otherwise, he looks just like Viktor.

"Yuuri," says the man who appeares to be Viktor, but isn't. His name sends a shiver down his spine. "Yurio and I finished the journal you gave us to copy. Where do you want me to put it?"

Yuuri blinks a few times. Journal? He glances around the room, then nods to the desk where a laptop sits. "Um... there is fine." He watches Not-Viktor closely as he crosses the room and sets down a heavy journal, swinging his eyes back to Makkachin when she comes up to sniff at his fingers. She licks him, and Yuuri sighs in relief, absently scratching behind her ear in her favorite spot.

Not-Viktor turns his head and smiles at him. "You should get up soon. It's almost time for work, isn't it?"

Yuuri stares at him for a long moment, feeling more worried by the moment. Finally he nods, and that seems to satisfy Not-Viktor, who leaves the room silently.

What spell components had he been playing with? He had been looking at a page about dimensional stability, thinking of making his own little pocket dimension to keep in his coat for when he goes traveling for the Grand Prix. Something must have happened... something which sent him to a different world. An alternate dimension? He thinks harder. The page had mentioned something about combinations of components that should be avoided, but Yuuri had ignored it...

Somehow, Yuuri must have transported himself to another world, where Viktor isn't a demon, and likely, this world's Yuuri isn't a demon, either. There isn't a lick of magic in the entire house.

He groans and covers his face. "Only me," he sighs, then looks down at Makkachin, who wags her tail, still a little wary but happy to have his attention. "I need to go home, then you can see your Yuuri again. I'm sorry I'm not him."

He needs to get out of here. At least his magic still works; otherwise this Not-Viktor would have had a heart attack to see a demon in the room. Gingerly, Yuuri slides out of bed and grabs some clothes to put on, then steps cautiously out of the room, looking down the hall.

Not-Viktor is leaning against the wall, looking nonchalant. Yuuri smiles weakly at him.

"Just, um, going to work," he mumbles, stepping past Not-Viktor.

Two seconds later, a hand grabs his throat and slams him into the wall, and Yuuri gasps in shock. He looks up to see Not-Viktor glaring at him with brightly glowing green eyes, and the sight is so terrifying that he shrinks back, his glamour wobbling briefly, enough that his eyes flare red. The sight seems to shock Not-Viktor, enough that his grip slackens slightly, and Yuuri wriggles away from him and bolts.

Not-Viktor is faster, though; he catches Yuuri by the back of the shirt and throws him to the ground, kneeling over him and pressing his arm to his back. "Who are you? Where is Yuuri?" Not-Viktor demands. The violence shocks Yuuri still, but only briefly.

He reacts the only way he knows how. He concentrates his magic and vanishes from the floor, reappearing at the end of the hall. He sees movement out of the corner of his eye and panics, sending out his allure to freeze the other person, who turns out to be Yurio -- and yet not.

"The hell?" Not-Yurio says -- but this Yurio is taller, older, sadder and darker, his eyes also glowing that eerie bright green, and like Not-Viktor, he is nearly completely human.

At the end of the hall, Not-Viktor gapes at him, while Makkachin is barking at the uproar.

"I'm sorry!" Yuuri says, his panic in full swing now. "There's been a terrible mistake, and it's all my fault, and I'm really sorry! I just need to go find a few books and some spell components and then I can get your Yuuri back. I promise, Viktor!"

He grabs the door handle, and in an instant, Not-Viktor has grabbed his wrist, making Yuuri jump in shock. How did he get to Yuuri in such a short time?

"I think you better explain everything," Not-Viktor says seriously. Yuuri debates running away again, but...

He can hear this Viktor's thoughts, and he is worrying, frantic. _Where is Yuuri who took him who is this person what just happened he disappeared his eyes are red is Yuuri okay he looks just like him he sounds like him who did this how did they find us **where is Yuuri**_

If this was his Viktor, he would want Viktor to be reassured that he is okay. Yuuri simply can't leave Viktor in such a state. With a small wince, he gives in and allows Viktor to pull him into a living room, his hand remaining clamped around Yuuri's wrist. After a moment, he releases his allure and lets Yurio follow them, not liking how angry the younger man looks.

"Talk," Viktor says shortly.

Yuuri meets his eyes, then drops his glamour.

Viktor lets go of him and jumps back, and Yurio screams. Makkachin starts barking again, and Yuuri sighs, reaching up to rub at his temples. He hopes neither of them have weapons; they seem to be military-trained. Yurio in particular seems ready to fight him, so Yuuri sends out his pheromones with a calming wave, making the three relax enough that they are no longer freaking out.

"I am Katsuki Yuuri, but definitely not the one you know. I'm... pretty sure that I miscast a magic spell and somehow switched with myself from another dimension, which probably means that your Yuuri is in my reality, with my Viktor."

That makes Viktor tense again, his eyes wide with shock. "Your Viktor?"

Yuuri smiles a little. "My Viktor. My fiancé, in fact. Viktor will look after your Yuuri, and so will Makkachin. Viktor should be able to fix the spell, which was entirely my fault, I was messing around with magic that I didn't understand..." He sighs and rubs his face, slumping against the couch. Truth be told, he has no idea how to get home, and he can only hope that his Viktor will be able to undo the mess he made. "I'm sorry."

After a long moment, Viktor crosses the room again and kneels down in front of him, looking closely at his face. Yuuri looks at him in misery, hating to see Viktor looking so worn and serious, even if this isn't his Viktor. It reminds him of the expression Viktor wears whenever he thinks of his awful past.

"You do look just like him. And you're not lying," this Viktor muses, his gaze dropping briefly to Yuuri's hand, where Viktor's ring sits. Yuuri twists it, a now-familiar fidget. He wonders how Viktor knows he isn't lying, then fidgets more as the silence stretches, his face warming beneath Viktor's attention. Viktor's gaze softens a little. "Well, you certainly act like my Yuuri. Same cute, stuttering blush."

Behind them, Yurio makes a gagging noise. Viktor ignores him and touches Yuuri's throat, where bruises are starting to form. "I'm sorry for grabbing you like that, Yuuri," Viktor says softly.

"It's okay," Yuuri manages, wondering how Viktor can make him react this way -- even an ordinary human Viktor, whom he just met. It isn't fair. It makes him miss his Viktor all the more, and he wonders what kind of life this Viktor lives, for him to be so tired and stressed.

Well, until either he or Viktor manages to fix this dilemma, Yuuri might as well find out. Comforting this Viktor is the least he can do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [@asian-thoughts](http://asian-thoughts.tumblr.com/) requested the resolution of this fun little crossover, so here we are!

Viktor glances back and forth between his hand and the floor of a large stone room, far from St. Petersburg in a grand manor deep in the Russian countryside. He keeps the property for spells like this, ones that need proper ritual chambers, which his apartment just can't handle. He's amazed that Yuuri accidentally cast this spell in the first place; the sheer impossibility of it should have destroyed the building and half of the city around it.

Then again, his Yuuri is rather talented. Viktor just hopes this works.

"This makes no sense to me," says the Yuuri from another world from the wall on the other side of the room, where he is sitting with his legs pulled to his chest and his nose in a large book. Viktor smiles a little but continues to draw symbols on the ground.

"You don't have two decades of arcane magic under your belt. Though if you studied it properly, I'm sure you would understand it in time."

Yuuri turns a page, his eyes wide as he looks over the spells within. He seems much more vulnerable than Viktor's Yuuri, though whether that is because of his humanity or because of his unique past is anybody's guess. Viktor wants to lock him away and keep him safe from everything.

The fact that Yuuri flinched every time they went out in public, over the past three days, is reason enough for Viktor to be concerned.

At last Viktor finishes, and he casts the first part of the spell, the outermost circle beginning to glow. Yuuri lowers his book and stares at it, wide-eyed as he always is at the display of magic, and Viktor dusts off his hands and walks over to Yuuri, helping him up.

"That will need to charge for three hours. In the meantime, why don't we eat something?"

"Okay," Yuuri agrees, pushing his glasses up. The fact that he needs them at all bewilders Viktor at times -- because this is Yuuri, if human. He keeps expecting the glamour to drop and for Yuuri to say it was all a practical joke.

He makes a small meal for them, not wanting Yuuri to get sick on his trip back, while worrying over whether the spell will work. He thinks about his Yuuri and how frantic he must have been, locked in a world without the means to even find spell components. If this Yuuri is to be believed, then there is no magic in that world, not as it exists here. The only magic Yuuri could cast would be the magic he carries through his bloodline.

It's up to Viktor to save him.

Yuuri hardly eats when Viktor sets the meal in front of him. Viktor doesn't push it; he can tell that Yuuri is rather nervous, his mind on his own world. 

"Viktor is planning something," Yuuri says out of the blue, and Viktor blinks at him, a bit thrown.

"Pardon?"

Yuuri pokes at his food, his expression forlorn. "He thinks I don't notice. He gets messages all the time, though, messages that he doesn't tell me about. I know he has other contacts, but he's planning something... something big. He still hasn't told me why he's even in Japan... he says it's to get a certain item before the Kremlin does, but I think... he's going to do something dangerous to get it, and I won't be able to help him."

Viktor remains silent for a long moment. If the other Viktor is anything like him, he would keep Yuuri in the dark as long as possible, to protect him. He winces slightly, remembering his own mistake with his Yuuri, then sighs. "I assume that this item is important?"

Nodding in thought, Yuuri gives a small sigh and looks out the window. "I'm pretty sure it's some secret that the Velenos Corporation is using, maybe as blackmail against Viktor. From what my own contacts say, they've been increasing their human experimentation, so... it's probably bad."

Viktor stops eating and looks up, staring blankly at Yuuri. "Velenos?" he asks slowly, not believing his ears.

Yuuri glances at him, blinking. "Mm. The Velenos Corporation is the one behind all this. They've got powerful friends everywhere, with business ties and political ties, and it's this huge secret world that is picking up people like Viktor and Yurio and using them for warfare. Not that anyone would believe us," he snorts. "They have a strong lock on communications and the media. Hardly anybody even knows they exist."

Well. That explains why the other Viktor is so worried. He wonders if anybody in the Velenos Corporation is related to the other Viktor by blood, but somehow doubts it. Even the other world's Yakov isn't related to the other Viktor.

"I think," Viktor says a few moments later, after he watches Yuuri finally manage a few bites, "that your Viktor wants to protect you. If these people are as dangerous as you say, then you could easily be hurt. You should trust him. Hopefully... once the danger has passed, he will tell you everything."

Yuuri turns wide eyes on him, taken aback by Viktor's honesty. Viktor smiles softly at him, then touches Yuuri's glass of water and pushes it toward him, leaving a faint glow in it that Yuuri doesn't notice, subtle enough to avoid human eyes. "It will be okay, Yuuri."

After a moment of holding his stare, Yuuri blinks and leans forward. "You and your Yuuri are getting married, aren't you?"

Viktor blinks in surprise at the question. "Yes, we are, after the proper courting period."

"Mm," Yuuri hums, his cheeks tinting pink. Viktor can't help admiring him, for all that he is not his Yuuri. "So... if all this goes well, if... if Viktor and Yurio and I survive all this, do you think... he might want the same? With me?"

Viktor breathes in sharply, his heart aching. If this other world is so dangerous, he almost doesn't want to let this Yuuri go back -- but he cannot leave his Yuuri in that world, and he cannot bring them both here. After a moment, he reaches out to take Yuuri's hand, his smile softening. "I can't think of any world where I wouldn't want you for the rest of my life, Yuuri. You gave me everything, as my Yuuri. I'm certain that you have given your Viktor the same. Don't let go of him."

Yuuri flushes slowly, but his eyes are bright as he meets Viktor's gaze. "I won't, ever."

Three hours later, Yuuri stands in the center of the spell circle, while Viktor chants in one of the arcane languages, the entire circle lighting up with energy. As he says the last word, Viktor meets Yuuri's eyes and smiles reassuringly, and a moment later, the human disappears.

In his place, Yuuri appears, looking much the same -- but this Yuuri smells like a demon. The magic in the room fades away as the spell finishes, and Viktor rushes forward to sweep Yuuri into his arms, clutching him tightly.

"Viktor," Yuuri gasps, throwing his arms around him and holding on tightly, tears wetting his cheeks. Viktor cannot help but cry, too, relieved beyond measure that his beloved is home. "I'm so sorry, this was all my fault --"

"It's okay, you're safe, you're home," Viktor soothes, drawing Yuuri out of the room to pamper him for the rest of the day. He has a lecture in mind, of course -- but right now, all he wants to do is reassure them both that Yuuri is okay.

Even if it means sending another Yuuri back to a world so dangerous that he might die someday.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale of this four-part crossover.

For three days, Yuuri worries and waits. There is little else he can do.

This world has no Underworld, or not one that Yuuri can access, anyway. He tried to go to the Underworld on the first day, but for some reason the spell circle wouldn't work, no matter how many times Yuuri redrew it. Finally he gave up and focused his efforts on finding spell components in the Overworld, but to his dismay, no matter how many demon stores he visited, he didn't find a single magical item. It was as if magic and the Underworld didn't even exist here. The only magic Yuuri could cast was his water and _mara_ magic.

He can't get home, not by himself. He has to rely on Viktor to save him.

Viktor, Yurio, and Makkachin have accepted him, at least. They arranged it so that Yuuri doesn't have to go into work -- and wouldn't that have been a disaster, working at a human job! -- by having him call in sick, then proceeded to grill him on his own universe, from the Underworld to magic and everything in between. Yurio in particular had been fascinated by such a world, though Viktor had been more critical, remaining silent when Yuuri had recounted some of his Viktor's issues with the Velenos clan.

Viktor is rather surprised, though, at what type of demon Yuuri is.

"An incubus?" Viktor repeats, blinking rapidly. "As in... a sexual demon? That kind?"

Yuuri nods, looking through the journal that his other self had written. The information about the Velenos Corporation makes him cringe. "Mmhmm, I get energy from sex." Viktor says nothing, so Yuuri looks up with a raised eyebrow. "Problem?"

"No, no," Viktor says quickly. On the other side of the room, Yurio is snickering. "I just... never would have thought. If anything, Yuuri might be... I don't know, maybe something to do with hot springs. Your family owns an inn, after all."

Yuuri holds his stare for a long moment, then snorts. "They're all water demons, which I could have been, I suppose, but I was born this way. Besides, I'm a very specific type of incubus, so normal sex doesn't do it for me."

"Ooh, kinky," leers Yurio, then yelps when Yuuri throws an eraser at his forehead.

"Besides, I'm sure your Yuuri doesn't have the problems I do," Yuuri continues, ignoring Yurio's pout. "For instance --"

"On second thought, I'm going downstairs," Yurio says, then puts his fingers in his ears and quickly leaves the room. Yuuri can't help but smirk a little. Yurio is easy to needle.

Viktor is watching him silently, which makes Yuuri's mirth fade. "What?"

"You're so much more confident than he is," Viktor says quietly. "Yuuri, my Yuuri, would never talk about sex like this. He'd probably be embarrassed..."

Unsurprising, given Yuuri's long acquaintance with his own failures. He finds it interesting that Viktor thinks he is confident, thought -- Yuuri is anything but. "Well, it is how I survive. Sex is a natural part of most human relationships," Yuuri points out, which makes Viktor snort.

"Most of them, sure."

"You haven't done anything with him?" Yuuri asks, curious as he lowers the journal. There's something decidedly different about Viktor, that reminds him of one of his assignations in the past.

For a long moment, Viktor is silent, his fingers drumming on the table. He rubs a finger over his mouth, then sighs a little and looks away. "I don't have a sexual drive. It's part of the serum they pumped into my body when they changed me. A perfect soldier doesn't care about fucking their enemy, after all," Viktor says quietly, a bitter tone to his voice. "Though there are parts of the program with Circles that have been trained for seduction... but they don't have any real sexual drive, either. It's all gone."

Yuuri stares at him, horrified. Asexuality is one thing, but for someone's sexual identity to be completely erased... it sounds anathema to an incubus. Viktor glances at him after a moment, notices his shock, and smiles a little, to try and dissolve the sudden tension in the room.

"It doesn't matter, anyway. You... Yuuri wouldn't want me that way, anyway."

Yuuri puts down the book and leans forward, reaching for Viktor's hand. "That's not true. In no way can that be true."

Viktor startles and stares at him, and beneath his skin, Yuuri can feel years of bitterness and sadness, loneliness, from being unable to trust anyone, to love anyone -- until Viktor met Yuuri. He can even sense the smallest hint of desire, when Viktor thinks of the one time he saw Yuuri naked, but... just as Viktor says, he has no sexual drive. He feels just like the asexual people Yuuri has met in the past.

"Viktor," Yuuri says, holding Viktor's gaze, "it doesn't matter if you can or can't have sex. I will always want you. In every life, in every world, I will want you. Sexually or romantically or just to have you beside me. You're so important to me." He bites his lip, overwhelmed by his frankness, but judging by Viktor's wide eyes, he needs to hear this. "It's the same for your Yuuri. Don't ever let him go. You can't, you have to promise," he pleads, unable to bear a future where Viktor doesn't love him, where Viktor is alone.

Viktor stares at him with wide eyes, swallowing briefly. "Yuuri..."

"Promise me!" He can feel it, the decisions building in the back of Viktor's mind, to --

Viktor shakes off his hand abruptly, turning away. "I can't promise that. You don't understand -- you live in a pretty, idealistic world, but here, it's different. This is war. If I keep Yuuri at my side, he will die. I can't protect him, not like that. Maybe not at all. But I have to try, and that means sending him away." Viktor takes a deep breath, then softens his harsh tone, that aching loneliness filling his eyes again. "If someday we end up on the other side together, alive, then... I'll think about it. But I can't promise anything else. I'm sorry."

Yuuri closes his eyes for a moment, unable to imagine a future where Viktor is dead. He hates the very thought. "You have to try."

Viktor sighs deeply. "Yuuri, I can't --"

"No," Yuuri says, opening his eyes and standing up, leaning over the table. "If you're going to win this war, then you have to believe in a future where you win. You have to believe that it will be okay, and that you will survive. You have to believe in that, and that means believing in me. In Yuuri. He will do the same for you, I swear it."

Viktor stares up at him, his eyes wide and vulnerable, and Yuuri suspects that this Viktor never lets himself be vulnerable in front of anybody -- just like his own Viktor. With a small smile, Yuuri leans down and kisses him softly, holding his pheromones and allure in check, but still willing to give this Viktor something to believe in.

A moment later, he feels energy building around him, magical in nature -- and Yuuri realizes that he is going home. "Never let go of him," he tells Viktor, before pulling away. The last thing he sees of this world's Viktor is his eyes widening and his hand stretching outward, before his world fades away.

~

Viktor stands and stares at where Yuuri disappeared, his heart in his throat -- but an instant later, Yuuri reappears, wearing different clothes, looking wide-eyed and scared. The second his gaze lands on Viktor, he lets a sob and runs forward, throwing his arms around Viktor.

Viktor nearly breaks the table to get to him, pulling Yuuri close and breathing in his scent, hearing his familiar heartbeat. For three days he has been beside himself, worrying about interdimensional travel and fearing he would never see Yuuri again. All the while, he'd had to stare at a replica of his Yuuri, but with magic and horns and wings and the signs of a happy life, while knowing that somewhere, his Yuuri was lost.

"Viktor," Yuuri whimpers, and Viktor wastes no time in picking him up and carrying him down the hall to Yuuri's bedroom. Yurio surfaces from downstairs, crowding at his back, and Makkachin joins them. Somehow, the four of them manage to fit into Yuuri's bed, and all the while Yuuri never lets him go.

The way Yuuri trembles is enough to cement Viktor's determination. No matter what, he will protect Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed this. It was a challenge to keep everyone (mostly, hopefully) in character while exploring the worlds of each respective AU a little more. I realize that this chapter doesn't quite match the others, being from Yuuri's POV when it should have been Viktor's, but crow!Viktor's POV would have revealed a lot of spoilers for _crow upon the sea,_ so I had to avoid it.
> 
> None of this is actual canon for either story, but it was still fun. Let me know what you think! (*´♡`*)


End file.
